Moving onto the next year
Looking at the progression of students is a considerable part of what the Taught Programmes Office
(TPO) do. This involves checking that your son or daughter has passed the correct number of credits, and ensuring they have a new record for next year which shows they can move up a level.
Some questions you might have about “progression”……
- How many credits do students need to get to “Proceed” to the next level?
- How many times can my son or daughter try to pass a “Level”?
How many credits do students need to get to “Proceed” to the next level?
Usually, an undergraduate student needs 120 credits at each level to automatically progress to the next one. However, the Departmental Exam Board has the discretion to allow a student to progress to Level 2 from Level 1 with 100 credits, providing the student has passed all the core modules and obtained a grade of at least 30 in any failed modules. Any cases like this will be discussed automatically at the Exam Board meeting so your son or daughter doesn’t need to do anything – unless they have special circumstances they wish to raise (if so refer to My son or daughter had a problem just before, or during, the exams period and I think they could have got a better grade if this hadn’t happened?)
Below are some explanations about what happens if your son or daughter doesn’t get enough credits to pass the year straight away.
How many times can my son or daughter try to pass a “Level”?
If your son or daughter is on Level 1 of their course they will be allowed a maximum of three attempts at their modules, so its really important that you encourage them to seek support if they appear to be struggling to pass, even at the first attempt. There is a lot of support available for struggling students, and we would encourage students to alert their department to any difficulties they are having at the earliest opportunity, via the most appropriate method; for example submitting a Special Circumstances Form, or seeking extra support from their tutor.
If your son or daughter is at Level 2 (or Level 3 on a 4 year course) and hasn’t been able to proceed to the next year after two years, TPO will start a process after the August resit results are published aimed at getting more information as to why the student is having difficulty in passing modules, because at this stage it is possible that they could run out of the time allowed to complete their degree if they keep trying without succeeding.
This process is called the Faculty Progress Procedures. If they are in this position, your son or daughter should act on the instructions they get when they receive their results and any emails or letters they receive afterwards, and attend any progress meetings they are invited to attend. They may be required to attend a Faculty Student Review Committee hearing and might benefit from seeking advice from the Student Advice Centre who has experience in supporting students through this process.